At Cleveland Clinic facilities across the region, the first people most patients encounter when checking into the hospital or doctor’s office are the patient service representatives. These men and women are responsible for much more than meets the eye. They are the Clinic’s frontline caregivers.

For two years, Nathalie Caprini has worked as a patient service representative at the Beachwood Family Health Center. She started her clinical career several years prior to that when she completed the educational requirements as a registered respiratory therapist. For a while, Caprini left the healthcare industry to pursue a real estate development position. Because of the “many hats” she was asked to wear, Caprini learned a great deal about business and managing properties, employees and projects.

“What I enjoy most about my work as a patient service representative is that I can utilize all my skills, both clinical and business, and be an asset to the organization. I am involved from beginning to end with patients, making sure that we follow through on all of their requests,” Caprini said.

In addition to being the first person to greet patients who call in or visit the health center, patient service representatives schedule appointments and procedures. They also triage patient symptoms or concerns and present that information to the clinical staff. Patient service representatives work closely with their fellow healthcare professionals, Caprini pointed out, in providing attention to patients.

Patient service representatives facilitate medical refill and request orders and may relay medical test results and information from the clinical staff to the patient. Patient service representatives check in patients, collect copayments and assist with any follow up appointments or diagnostic testing scheduling upon patient checkout.

In addition, Caprini has had the opportunity to get involved in many projects that were related to patient care such as process improvement and creating scheduling protocols. She also helps train new employees on how to do certain types of work.

Compassion and listening skills are a must

Louvenia Martin has worked at the Cleveland Clinic main campus for 37 years, 28 of which have been as a patient service representative. Before working for the Clinic, Martin taught in an educational Head Start program and also took child development classes at a local community college.

Before being hired full time by the Clinic, Martin worked part time in the Medical Records Department. She said she loves coming to work and that her coworkers are like family after being together for so many years.

Working with the public and with patients requires an ability to read people of all ages and understand their attitudes and moods, Martin said. Patient service representatives need to have patience and be able to listen and hear people out.

“One must always be respectful of patients,” said the long-time employee. “You also need to be a ‘people person’ and want to give from the heart.”

Martin suggested that some of the most important phrases that a patient service representative can use are “thank you,” “please” and “May I help you.” It is imperative to demonstrate kindness in all of your patient dealings.

Caprini added that patient service representatives need to act professionally, have strong computer skills and have the ability to work under pressure. It helps to be a versatile, personable person who is also a team player.

“This job is about much more than just answering phones,” Caprini said. “I love being able to help people, especially in this economy, to decrease their stress level. You need to get engaged in this job and enjoy working with the public, even in times of stress. You need to be able to put patients first and provide the best care possible.”

Both women admit that the best part of the job is when a patient personally thanks them for helping with their requests. There are many ongoing patient relationships that have been built over the years, Martin said.

Appointment scheduling experience and job-related training

The Cleveland Clinic seeks a minimum of two years’ related experience in patient registration, insurance processing or appointment scheduling for its patient service representative positions. General office experience or having similar job-related training may also be acceptable for eligibility. An associate-level degree or equivalent may substitute for experience in some cases. There are no specific licensure or certification requirements necessary to apply.

In addition to providing a comprehensive set of business, financial and appointment-related services, patient service representatives may also be assigned additional duties based on experience and extended knowledge base of the individual. It is strongly suggested that candidates have a basic knowledge of medical terminology and the ability to perform basic math that is sufficient to process insurance co-payments and medical forms. Solid computer skills are recommended to input and retrieve data.

Patient service representatives are responsible for making a patient’s visit to the doctor or hospital go smoothly. That’s why good interpersonal skills and the ability to follow through on assignments are important skills. The job requires multitasking and self-motivated individuals who work well in a team environment.

At Cleveland Clinic, patient service representatives may also be asked to collect referring physician demographic information for communication. They may also spend time on recruiting, initiating and training patients on the MyChart system.